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Best version of Dracula

treeduck

By treeduck,
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Which Dracula version is the definitive?  

9 members have voted

  1. 1. Which Dracula version is the definitive?

    • 1 1958: Christopher Lee - dir. Terrence Fisher
      2
    • 2 1931: Bela Lugosi - dir. Tod Browning
      1
    • 3 1979: Frank Langella - dir. John Badham
      1
    • 4 1992: Gary Oldman - dir. Francis Ford Coppola
      4
    • 5 1922: Max Shreck - dir. F.W. Murnau
      1

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treeduck

treeduck

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Now I know that the 1958, 1931 and 1992 versions are the most famous but I don't think any of these are the best...

 

Francis Ford Coppola's version suffers from having miscast actors like keanu Reeves as Harker and quirky character actor Gary Oldman (great as he is) in the lead role as the count. Reeves was of course a joke in his role as for Gary he played it like he needed 26 costume changes to play the role for him, the rest of the time he seemed to be wishing he was playing Renfield which would definitely have suited him better. Hopkins was cast well as Van Helsing but he seemed to ham it up way too much and seemed to eccentric and light-hearted in such a grave situation. The rest of the cast wasn't great either, Richard E Grant for instance was disappointing, Winona Ryder was fine but Tom Waits as Renfield?? Talk about a bad idea. The best thing about this version was the use of colour...

 

The Hammer version from 1958 I do enjoy, but it seems really dated now but I do rate Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, Lee is probably the best known Dracula and was very good in the role.

 

The 1931 version was very theatrical and Bela Lugosi was perfect for the role and some might see him as the definitive count... For me though this version plays too much like a parody of itself.

 

The most frightening version is probably the 1922 silent film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens starring an eerie Max Shreck as the vampire. This guy looks almost too convincing...

 

My favourite version though overall is the most underrated one, John Badham's 1979 gothic depiction, starring a very charismatic and effective Frank Langella. The whole cast is excellent in this version; Lawrence Olivier as Van Helsing how can you beat that? And he was great in the role. Donald Pleasance as Seward, the excellent kate Nelligan as Lucy wow is she impressive in this one. One scene genuinely shocked me, which is hard to do these days, when Van Helsing searches the mines beneath his daughter Mina's grave and confronts her, Jesus, I never thought I'd ever be shit-scared of Jan Francis, what an amazing make-up job and great acting, she looked just like an undead blood-sucker (shivers).

 

The atmosphere is spooky and tense, the look of the film is dark and brooding, the castle and asylum sets are incredible, the music dramatic and intense, the suspense is excellent even though I know this story all too well by now.

 

I don't expect it to win this poll , but that's ok, if you haven't seen this film though you want to get out and rent it ASAP, I just watched it myself on TV and really enjoyed it...

 

So any thoughts?

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treeduck

treeduck

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Here's some stills from 1979 version...

 

http://www.baharna.com/store/DraculaLangella/MinaUndead.jpg

http://www.baharna.com/store/DraculaLangella/LucyBright.jpg

http://www.baharna.com/store/DraculaLangella/VanHelsingHarker.jpg

http://www.baharna.com/store/DraculaLangella/DraculaLucyCoffin.jpg

http://www.baharna.com/store/DraculaLangella/carfax.jpg

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tyranny

tyranny

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Wow, a thread about vampires, my favorite subject!!!! Don't get me started!!!! Ooops, too late!!!!

 

Well, drat, I've only seen 3 of the 5 so I'm having a hard time coming up with an opinion for the poll. I haven't seen the 1958 or 1979 versions. But I agree that Nosferatu (which isn't based on Bram Stoker's book) is by far the creepiest.

 

There's a lot to be said about the one with Bela Lugosi, though, it's very close to the Bram Stoker novel, and I think it really captures the essence of the novel, which is sexual repression in the Victorian era. And you thought it was about vampires!!! Huh!!!!

 

Anyone see Shadow of the Vampire (2000) with John Malkovich? He plays the actor who's playing Nosferatu. Wow, that was a really good movie, super-creepy, and disturbingly realistic. Far superior to the Francis Ford Coppola effort.

 

In honor of Halloween, I want to give a shout-out to my all-time favorite vampire movie, Queen of the Damned. Not the best script, but the rock music and Stuart Townsend's naked torso make it so worthwhile!!!

 

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n295/tyranny83/QD-3120small.jpg

 

 

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treeduck

treeduck

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QUOTE (tyranny @ Oct 31 2006, 10:58 PM)
Wow, a thread about vampires, my favorite subject!!!! Don't get me started!!!! Ooops, too late!!!!

Well, drat, I've only seen 3 of the 5 so I'm having a hard time coming up with an opinion for the poll. I haven't seen the 1958 or 1979 versions. But I agree that Nosferatu (which isn't based on Bram Stoker's book) is by far the creepiest.

There's a lot to be said about the one with Bela Lugosi, though, it's very close to the Bram Stoker novel, and I think it really captures the essence of the novel, which is sexual repression in the Victorian era. And you thought it was about vampires!!! Huh!!!!

Anyone see Shadow of the Vampire (2000) with John Malkovich? He plays the actor who's playing Nosferatu. Wow, that was a really good movie, super-creepy, and disturbingly realistic. Far superior to the Francis Ford Coppola effort.

In honor of Halloween, I want to give a shout-out to my all-time favorite vampire movie, Queen of the Damned. Not the best script, but the rock music and Stuart Townsend's naked torso make it so worthwhile!!!

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n295/tyranny83/QD-3120small.jpg

Yeah I've seen shadow of the vampire with Willelm Dafoe as Max. Seems Shreck was weird in reality as well as the film...

 

Hey make sure you rent out the 1979 version of Drac you'll love that if you love vampires...and when you do tell me what you think...

 

cool.gif

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tyranny

tyranny

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Sure thing, treeduck.

You don't have to ask me twice to see a vampire movie!!!! wink.gif

 

I've read good things about the 1979 version, I'm sure you are right-on about it.

 

But you've gotta love the beautiful use of light and shadow in the B&W 1931 version....

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tyranny

tyranny

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Oh, yeah, my bad... it's been a while...

it IS Willem Dafoe playing the Nosferatu role in Shadow of the Vampire, not John Malkovich (who actually plays the director).

 

I should've pulled up the IMDb site before I posted.

 

Man that was a good movie.

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treeduck

treeduck

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QUOTE (tyranny @ Oct 31 2006, 11:11 PM)
Sure thing, treeduck.
You don't have to ask me twice to see a vampire movie!!!! wink.gif

I've read good things about the 1979 version, I'm sure you are right-on about it.

But you've gotta love the beautiful use of light and shadow in the B&W 1931 version....

Yeah I like that version and all the other versions and lots of other vampire films have taken from it, it's the grand daddy of all vampire films. Tobe Hooper must be a fan too he turned Salem's Lot's Barlow courtesy of Reggie Nalder into Max...

 

http://foros.kaliman.com.mx/discus/messages/42/5467.jpg

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treeduck

treeduck

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QUOTE (tyranny @ Oct 31 2006, 11:14 PM)
Oh, yeah, my bad... it's been a while...
it IS Willem Dafoe playing the Nosferatu role in Shadow of the Vampire, not John Malkovich (who actually plays the director).

I should've pulled up the IMDb site before I posted.

Man that was a good movie.

I think it may have been the bald head that threw you...

 

Dafoe reminds me a lot of Klaus Kinski in that role...

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Necromancer

Necromancer

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Of the movies you mentioned, i'd have to go with Langella's version. Though I really am not a fan of ANY Dracula movie based on the book. I quite honestly liked the Dracula 2000 movie. Had a lot of neat, new ideas in it. I'm a huge fan of vampires, but not so much Drac. He's just too boring anymore. Maybe someday the right person will come along and make the ultimate Drac movie.

 

I HATE the Gary Oldman version. 062802puke_prv.gif

 

I think the scariest vamp movie was the tv one you mentioned, Salem's Lot. The original. I don't know if it was cuz I was young, or if it just kicked ass, but I remember being creeped out of my wits with that one. yes.gif

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treeduck

treeduck

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QUOTE (Necromancer @ Nov 4 2006, 04:24 PM)
Of the movies you mentioned, i'd have to go with Langella's version. Though I really am not a fan of ANY Dracula movie based on the book. I quite honestly liked the Dracula 2000 movie. Had a lot of neat, new ideas in it. I'm a huge fan of vampires, but not so much Drac. He's just too boring anymore. Maybe someday the right person will come along and make the ultimate Drac movie.

I HATE the Gary Oldman version. 062802puke_prv.gif

I think the scariest vamp movie was the tv one you mentioned, Salem's Lot. The original. I don't know if it was cuz I was young, or if it just kicked ass, but I remember being creeped out of my wits with that one. yes.gif

Yeah Gary was trying to do Dracula as a character role, with endless costume changes and bizarre personality quirks which just looked confusing to me.

 

Yeah I saw Salem's Lot in 1980 on the BBC and it totally blew me away. At the time I hadn't read anything by Stephen King and Kubrick's version of The Shining wasn't out at that point, I think it was around March, the spring anyway. I didn't have a clue what it was about but it was certainly spooky, James Mason was very effective in fact the whole cast was really good quality.

 

You had Elisha Cook (The Maltese Falcon), Lew Ayres, George Dzundza (The Deer Hunter, Crimson Tide, Law and Order, City by the Sea), Geoffrey Lewis (Nip/Tuck, High Plains Drifter), Kenneth Mcmillan (Dune, Amadeus), Fred Willard (Anchorman, a Mighty Wind), Bonnie Bedellia (Die Hard, Presumed Innocent) and of course David Soul (Sudden Impact, starsky and Hutch)

 

It was directed by Tobe Hooper and the screenplay was written by Paul Monash of Peyton Place fame, which is interesting as King once described Salem's Lot as a cross between dracula and Peyton Place.

 

Basically though the whole thing was very cool, and Barlow played by Reggie Nalder scared the bejesus out of me...

 

ohmy.gif

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